Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt
by The Red Dragons Order
Summary: FINISHED Something ancient and evil is awakening in Egypt. The magic is being sucked out of the land. And Harry finds himself in the middle of it all. R
1. Prologue

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my appologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Prologue  
  
'~~''~~' Egypt, 2500 B.C. '~~''~~'  
  
He fell. After a war that lasted years and years, Nassithoth finally fell. The pharaoh and his people celebrated for days on end. But they celebrated their victory too soon. For out in the great desert sat Nassithoth and was making a pact with the dark god Set and his mistress Selket. He promised to give them his soul if Set helped him survive the desert and give him means to conquer his enemies. The two gods agreed to this and spared his life.  
  
Grass began to grow all around Nassithoth, palm-trees went from seed to full-grown in mere seconds. A water-fall appeared on one side of the valley, and a small river went through the idyllic place as well. In the middle of the oasis a great pyramid rose up, made out of gold and with great diamonds as decorations, it glittered in the sun and could be seen for miles around.  
  
Nassithoth got his army, and he defeated the pharaoh. Wherever he and his army passed, they left death and destruction. Nothing could stand against him, not even the most powerful of wizards.  
  
It was then that the gods Ra, Maat, Anubis and Horus decided to stop the madness. They sent down to earth a shield that shone brightly with Light Magic when the sun hit it. Anything evil hit by this magical light - be it monster or man - would turn to sand and dust. They gave the shield to Imhotep, the counsellor of the pharaoh, and he placed it on the top of the highest pyramid. From there the sun hit it and every evil deity in the battle below was gone in mere seconds.  
  
Nassithoth survived once again, for his soul had been taken. And a thing without a soul is very hard to kill. He retreated out of the capital, and waited by the banks of the Nile for the night. Guessing right that the pharaoh - the fool that he was - would leave the sacred shield on top of the pyramid, he stole it killing several guards and stealing two camels while he was at it.  
  
He went back to his oasis, Ankh-Torom, and placed the shield inside the pyramid for protection. Set and Selket placed spells and enchantments over it, and Nassithoth and a few of his men who hadn't left the oasis, built traps and pits and gods know what else to protect the shield.  
  
Years passed and Nassithoth grew bored with the world. He let himself be mummified and put in a sarcophagus. The remaining men placed him inside the pyramid with just as many spells and traps to guard him.  
  
There he would wait until someone or something woke him again.  
  
But next time, the world would be his.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
'~~''~~' Egypt, current day, year 2008 '~~''~~'  
  
Anna grinned happily and hugged her co-worker, John.  
  
"Isn't it wonderful?!" she exclaimed. "Everyone said that the oasis of Ankh- Torom didn't exist, here it is! And we were the ones to find it!" she nearly jumped up and down on their camel.  
  
"Calm down Anna," said John, though he was grinning like a maniac as well. "We still have half-a-day before we actually reach Ankh-Torom. For all we know it could be a mirage." He teased and clung on to the camel. He really hated heights.  
  
She growled and punched his arm. "You and I both know that that is no mirage or hallucination."  
  
"If it had been a hallucination," another man spoke up, "then it must be a mass-hallucination. The workers can see it-" he mentioned to the scared looking men that walked beside their camels "-and the camels see it as well." Even the camels looked afraid.  
  
"Oh, shut it Stanley." Anna laughed. "You're just jealous that I was the one that found both the Book of the Living and the Book of the Dead."  
  
"Ah, but my dear," replied Stanley. "I am the one who put the clues from the books together into the wonderfully detailed map that has led us here."  
  
"That 'wonderful map' as you called it, is even worse than having no map at all!"  
  
John shook his head. "Stop it you two and spare your strength to the dig. Concentrate on getting to the oasis." Anna and Stanley laughed.  
  
It had been extremely difficult to get people and workers for this expedition. Once the men heard the name Ankh-Torom they had scattered faster than you could blink. After two weeks of search they had ended up with thirty slightly unwilling men that would accompany them. But the price had been high. Very high. They had had to give away half the cash that was meant for the expedition to pay the workers, and they had spent nearly every step of the way trying to convince the men that there was no such thing as a curse over the oasis, and that there were no such things as a group of these Medjai that guarded the place. And if there actually was a group of desert-people, they probably were just normal nomads. Nothing to worry about.  
  
However it was all worth it now that they could see the oasis itself in the horizon, coming closer and closer. It was a wonderful sight.  
  
Anna turned to look behind. All she could see was dunes upon dunes with sand. It was hard to believe that somewhere in that direction laid Cairo and other small villages they had passed through.  
  
She narrowed her eyes. Was there something moving there, right on that hill of sand?  
  
"John is it just me or is there something moving back there?" she asked.  
  
John turned around and narrowed his own eyes. Blasted sun being reflected in this never ending sand. "You mean that little black dot there?"  
  
"The moving black dot." She corrected.  
  
"Yes, I see it. Why?"  
  
"You don't think it could be one of these Medjai's-or-whatever-they're- called?"  
  
"Nah, probably just someone from the last village we passed through."  
  
Anna raised an eyebrow. "All the way out here?"  
  
"Perhaps it's some sort of rite-of-passage, or something." Suggested Stanley. "You know, stay in the desert for five days and you're a man."  
  
"Yeah, that could be it." Anna nodded.  
  
"That's probably it," John agreed. "Remember how hard it was for us to get workers for this expedition? He's probably just staring in awe at Ankh- Torom." The other two nodded in agreement and soon all three of them had forgotten all about the mysterious rider.  
  
The oasis of Ankh-Torom came closer, and they reached it just as the sun started to set. The pal-trees rose high into the air, the underbrush was thick and they had to cut their way through. It was warm and the air was thick and difficult to breathe in. However, they weren't worried. They would get used to it soon enough.  
  
The next thing they noticed was that there were no birds singing, nor any other sounds except for a waterfall not too far away. It was weird, not hearing any other sound but their own.  
  
"Lets stay out here for the night," John said after they had to cut their way through yet another thicket. "We can rest here and continue tomorrow. And while we're resting we can make plans for the next couple of days and try to find out just what route we're going to use to get to this pyramid you keep talking about, Anna."  
  
The woman looked at the workers. Their tired and scared faces, their sluggish movements and their ripped clothes. She sighed. "Alright. We stay here for the night." The workers looked thankful and quickly set up the camp. Anna, John and Stanley shared a tent, while the workers had five tents to share, six men to each tent.  
  
Anna, John and Stanley stayed up pretty late, pouring over the Book of the Living and the Book of the Dead. They had found the two books on their last dig, deep in the Kheops-pyramids.  
  
"Wait, there's something here..." Anna looked closely at the hieroglyphs at the bottom of the page. "John, what does it say?"  
  
John took the book and put on his glasses. "Hmm, 'those who enter the valley will forever be doomed'. Now that's cheery."  
  
Stanley hadn't said a thing for a while. He was sitting closest to the exit of the tent, and looked asleep. However, now he mentioned the other two towards him. "Listen."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Not a sound."  
  
John shook his head. "There wasn't a sound when we came either. What's your point?"  
  
"There should've been sounds. Sounds from the camels, sounds from the workers." Said Stanley.  
  
"He's right." Anna whispered. "Not a sound."  
  
John took a deep breath and pushed the flap open. "Oh my god...."  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
There, that's done. What do you think? Should I continue this Saga Side Story?  
  
The Red Dragons Order 


	2. Chapter 1

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my appologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter One  
  
It had been a week since Blaise broke up with him, and Harry had buried himself in his work. His friends and co-workers became so worried that one day they just forced him into his coat and nearly threw him out on the street.  
  
"And don't come back until you're completely smashed!" Draco growled before slamming the door in his face.  
  
Harry had shaken his head in amusement, and started to drag along the streets. Luckily London was a very big town, and you could walk for hours on end before having to cross your own trail.  
  
After having walked for a few hours, Harry had entered a pub called the Red Lion. And now, hours later, he was still in the same pub, nursing his first beer and looking at the TV in the corner.  
  
"...three archaeologists have disappeared with their workers." The news- reader said. "Apparently they were searching for the legendary oasis of Ankh-Torom, and were last seen in a small village two weeks ago. No one have heard anything from them..."  
  
Harry tuned the reader out as his thoughts began to fly. 'Ankh-Torom. Now where have I heard that before?' he thought to himself. 'Back to the HQ it is.' He paid for the drink and hurried outside. This time he didn't bother to walk all the way back, but apparated straight into the middle of his office.  
  
Draco, who had taken over the office while Harry was getting drunk, jumped and fell off his chair when he saw a perfectly sober Harry Potter appear out of nowhere. "Jesus! Potter, I thought you were supposed to get drunk, not scare the shit out of people!"  
  
"You're a wizard Draco, surely you know about apparating and disapparating?" Harry replied and hurried over to his private library. The bickering with Draco was a second nature to him now, and both knew that the other didn't mean what he said. The Red Dragons would be getting worried if the two of them didn't argue all the time.  
  
"But... but what are you doing here?" Draco asked as he got to his feet and picked up the chair.  
  
"Something has caught me attention." Harry said absentmindedly. "Where are you?" he mumbled as he searched through the books.  
  
"You aren't thinking of kicking the bucket as the Americans would've said, are you? Because if you are, I am calling everyone in here and then you'd have to listen to one of Hermione's lectures." Draco threatened.  
  
"No, no, I'm not. I'm searching for a book. Gotcha!" Harry grinned. "Oh, and Draco, would you be so kind and contact Bill Weasley and ask him to find out everything he can about these missing archaeologists?"  
  
"Sure. What missing archaeologists?"  
  
"He will know what I'm talking about." Harry said as he headed into the small living-room connected to his office.  
  
"Yes, but I don't." Draco growled and headed out of the room. Harry got weirder and weirder every day.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
"Ankh-Torom," Harry muttered while looking through the book on ancient Egypt. "Where are you Ankh-Torom?" This was the fourth book he had dug up in one of the huge libraries that belonged to the Red Dragons Order.  
  
He was currently sitting on a airplane headed for Cairo. On the airport he would meet up with Bill Weasley and together they would travel to the last village the group of archaeologists had passed through before disappearing. In the days following the news on the TV there had been nothing about the archaeologists, and Harry had used this time to research ancient Egypt and everything he could find about Ankh-Torom. The disappointing thing was that there was very little about the oasis, but from what he could gather it was a place not to mess around with. If one took the word 'torom' and changed around on the letters, one got 'morto', which meant death.  
  
"We'll be landing in a few moments," the captains voice sounded through the plane. "Please put everything away, turn off mobile phones and computers, and put on your seat belt. Thank you."  
  
Harry sighed and put the book away. He wasn't fond of travelling like a muggle, but Bill had warned him about apparating to Egypt. Something or someone was sucking all the magic out of the land. Wizards lost their powers within the night, and Bill himself could hardly perform a Lighting Spell these days, where before he had been able to do the most difficult of charms and hexes. Harry shook his head. This was bad, but did Fudge or anyone else listen to him? No, of course not!  
  
The plane landed smoothly, and ten minutes later Harry was carrying his small sack over one shoulder. He was dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt, and faded blue jeans. His scar was hidden with his Shape-Shifting ability, and he was wearing dark sunglasses to hide his eyes. He didn't look any different from all the other tourists walking around him.  
  
"Harry!" the call came from somewhere to the side.  
  
Harry turned and grinned when he saw the tall, long-haired red-headed man waving. "Bill! Wonderful to see you!"  
  
Bill grinned as well, the fang-earring glittering in the sun. "You too, Harry, you too." They started to walk towards Bills jeep that stood parked a few streets away from the airport. "Anything new with the Red Dragons?"  
  
"Not really, no. Sirius and Severus are still at each others throats. Athan and Zev are not speaking to each other for some strange reason, though I'm grateful for it as it means that they are not fighting. Salazar is still his crazy self, and the rest is, as they say, history. Molly and the others send their greetings, though."  
  
"Yep, nothing's changed." Bill laughed.  
  
Harry shook his head and threw his bag in the backseat of the jeep. Bill hadn't changed much, even if he was soon to fill fifty years, he looked like a thirty year old man.  
  
Harry got into the car. "So, what can you tell me?"  
  
"Nothing much except for the fact that the archaeologists visited six villages before setting out towards Ankh-Torom, and that they got five men from each village. But I don't think it can help you much." The red-head replied.  
  
"You never know," Harry said. "How long will it take to reach the outmost of these villages?"  
  
"A few hours. I've already got a camel waiting for you there and a falcon by the name of Osiris for you to send messages with."  
  
"You're not coming with me?" the green-eyed man asked.  
  
Bill shook his head. "Can't, they need me at a dig, and I don't dare to go into the desert without my magical powers."  
  
"Yes, anything new on that while we're at it?"  
  
"Elemental magic is completely safe to use, where you are at an advantage. It is unsafe to even try the simplest of spells these days, so we have to do things the muggle way. I hope that you find those archaeologists Harry, because I have a feeling that this disappearing of magic has something to do with them."  
  
Harry just nodded and looked ahead again. Things got more and more complicated by the second.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
"So, what did you get out of these people?" Harry asked. He and Bill were sitting in a small bar in the last village. People there were avoiding them like the plague.  
  
"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Bill replied. "Once I mentioned the archaeologists everyone shut up tighter than a goblins money-belt."  
  
"And the other five villages?"  
  
"Nothing there as well. A completely impossible feat." The red-head shook his head. "You're not getting help out of these people Harry. Even the camel cost me much, and I had to take from the Red Dragons Founds. The falcon, Osiris, belongs to me." Bills paid for the drink they had had - there was no bartender around to accept the money - and the two of them went outside.  
  
At the edge of town stood a camel. It wasn't loaded down with everything you'd expect a normal person to carry with themselves on a trip into the desert, but then again when had Harry been considered normal? He didn't need any water to load down the animal as he could call it up fresh from the ground due to his Elemental powers. He didn't need much food as he could make a tree grow in the blink of an eye, and seconds later he would have a banana or apples or whatever to eat. However, the camel was going to carry a bit of dried meat, enough for two weeks by Harry's estimations.  
  
"Are you sure about this Harry?" Bill asked as Harry put on a light robe with cuts up to the waist so that it was easy to move and fight in. He put on one of the turban-like hats and covered his nose and mouth with a piece of cloth. The sunglasses still hid his eyes. "Why has this caught your attention? Archaeologists get lost in the desert all the time."  
  
"I don't know Bill," Harry replied and got into the saddle. "But when I find out you'll be the first to know." The camel stood up and started to walk.  
  
"Just be careful Harry." Bill said quietly as he watched his friend ride off into the deadly desert.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
There, what do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
SSSRoaB, chaser1, Dragon-Revenge, athenakitty, aerinoutlander, zimagesto, hermionepotter141, HarryPotter21, misty43, insanechildfanfic, twin demonic angels, No, Wood is not a stick, daniboy, Chicken Stars and daemonwolf. 


	3. Chapter 2

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my appologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Harry didn't need a compass for this journey. The Wind and Air told him everything. The Element told him where the archaeologists had travelled, and the way to the Ankh-Torom oasis. Therefore he wasn't tricked by the fake trails that the Medjai put out during the night.  
  
First time Harry had come across one of their misleading clues, was a few hours ride from the village. He had stopped the camel and looked down at the pretty new caps that would surely have come from one of the archaeologists. Air, however, told him it didn't belong to them, but was set out by a Medjai trainee. The Earth had confirmed this, and had whispered to him that they were trying to mislead him to keep him from discovering the oasis. Harry shook his head as he passed another fake clue. A water-mug without water. The Medjai were getting desperate, which meant that he was getting close.  
  
He had been in this desert for four days now, and it was bloody boring. Every night he would call up some water for the camel and himself, and he would call up a banana-tree to eat after the dried meat. Then he built the fire, and went to sleep leaning against the camel. Osiris would keep guard through the night if he wasn't delivering messages. Bill kept him updated on the magical-situation, and whatever else that happened in the world. The magic was almost completely gone from the Egyptian people, and Harry himself could feel something eating away at his powers. He had to hurry up to find this thing or he would end up loosing his own powers. Not that he needed them much anymore as Voldemort was good and dead, but he would still like to keep them.  
  
"There, there," he said to the camel. "Nothing to worry about." The animal had become really nervous this morning, and it still hadn't calmed down. In fact, Harry was getting worried himself. There was something big and evil somewhere in his path, and it couldn't be anything else but Ankh-Torom.  
  
A sharp cry made him look up. Osiris was returning, but this time without a letter. That was weird.  
  
"What happened to you, my friend?" Harry muttered as the falcon landed on his outstretched arm. He spared a second to look carefully at the birds legs. Perhaps Bill had sent a hidden message? But he found nothing. That left only the Medjai. "You poor bird." He mumbled. "Fly off and follow me at a safe distance, or go home to Bill."  
  
The falcon looked at him for a second, before taking to the air again. Harry shook his head and looked up again. The sun was setting quickly, and it was time to make camp. He got off the camel and gathered the last of the wood he had taken with him on the trip. A small gesture later and a nice little fire sprung to life. The camel laid down, and Harry himself sat down close to the fire. He didn't call up any water, nor any trees, there was just something that kept him from doing anything but stare into the flames.  
  
It wasn't until late at night when he heard the sound of silent hoofs on the sand, that Harry rose from the trance or whatever it had been. The fire was still cracking merrily, and the camel was looking around. He heard the hoof beats again, and stood up. It appeared as thought the inevitable meeting between himself and the Medjai was going to happen.  
  
Harry grabbed a sword and a gun with unlimited access to bullets that only knocked you out for a few hours. Or, better said, it was supposed to be unlimited, but with this magic-issue there was some doubt about that. He just hoped that the gun worked as it was charmed to, or he would be in big trouble. He took off the robe and sunglasses for perfect agility and sight and, after thanking Arana another time for the leyrie-blood, he got ready.  
  
The Medjai came swiftly and silently. They were dressed in dark clothes, and their horses didn't make a sound. The riders were shocked however, when they found Harry completely awake and ready to fight them. The shock was over faster than one could blink, and a second later they charged and Harry had his hands full trying to keep the swords from reaching him or jumping away from bullets and daggers coming in his direction.  
  
But no matter how much Harry fought, the Medjai proved to be a bit more than he could handle. They were very skilled fighters, and they were many, while there was only one Harry. So the end result was that Harry ended up bound and held up by two of the Medjai.  
  
*~~*Do not fight.*~~* A voice whispered in his mind. It wasn't the same voice that had annoyed him to hell during his fifth and sixth year at Hogwarts, nor was it Fate or Destiny. This was someone else. *~~*Trust me young warrior. Do not fight them.*~~*  
  
Harry shrugged mentally and decided to do as the voice told him to. So far the voices in his head had been quite helpful.  
  
One of the Medjai, a man around the age of thirty with a stubble and shoulder-long wavy hair, got off his horse and made his way towards Harry. His eyes were black, the same colour of his hair and beard, and he had the customary Medjai tattoos on his face and forehead.  
  
"You are a good fighter," the man said. He spoke with an accent, but it fit him. "And you are a smart one, avoiding all our traps. However, nothing you know or can do would have helped you if you had reached the oasis of Ankh- Torom."  
  
"You want to bet on that one?" Harry grinned, and suddenly a ring of fire cut himself and the three Medjai away from the rest. The two men holding him, let go in shock and the man in front of him looked around in surprise. "Trust me, my friend, I am not as defenceless as I look."  
  
The man turned back to him and studied him. When their eyes met, black against incredible green, his eyes widened slightly. He said something in Arabian to his two fellows, then raised his hand. Harry smirked as the fire he had put up disappeared. So, these Medjai weren't complete muggles after all.  
  
"I think," the man said. "We need to talk."  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
His name was Ardeth. He was a descendant of the ancient warrior-people that had guarded Ankh-Torom, and other places in Egypt, for centuries. It was their duty to keep people from discovering these places as most of them had a curse or something similar thrown over them. All this Harry took in calmly, as if it was everyday news. And to him it was, but Ardeth - who didn't believe Harry was anything else but an Elemental - seemed a bit surprised at this.  
  
"You are not scare or worried?" the man finally asked.  
  
"No, not really. You could say that I am used to these things happening." Harry grinned. "Now I have a question for you," he continued. "You had the perfect chance to kill me, even if you were surrounded by fire, what made you change your mind?"  
  
"Your green eyes." Ardeth replied. "In ancient Egypt it was believed that people with green eyes were powerful wizards, or messengers from the gods. I am not about to break the old beliefs."  
  
"So you and your people think I am a messenger from the gods?" Harry asked in amusement. All around, hidden in the night, were the rest of the Medjai's, keeping guard. They were difficult to see, even with the fire, but Harry wasn't having as much trouble as one would have expected. The leyrie-blood was really useful sometimes.  
  
Ardeth shrugged. "I don't want to test the theory. What are you doing here in the middle of the desert?"  
  
Harry chuckled quietly. "My friend, you already know what I am doing here, or else you and your people wouldn't have gone to such extremes to keep me away from my destination."  
  
"You aren't stupid, that is sure." The man sighed. "You are searching for the archaeologists, aren't you?"  
  
"More or less."  
  
"You are a fool for even thinking about it."  
  
"I didn't say that was the whole reason for me to search for the oasis." Harry pointed out.  
  
The Medjai nodded. "And what might the other reason be? What is it that makes you search for such a place as Ankh-Torom? With all the legends flying around connected to the oasis, it'd be enough to make many men run screaming into the night."  
  
"The legends and tales are fewer than you think," the green-eyed man replied. "I had to search all over the world for information on the oasis. And the little that I have sound mostly like some sort of fairytale."  
  
This seemed to worry the other man. "Not good," he mumbled and shook his head. Then he looked up again and studied Harry. "We cannot stop you form going in, can we?"  
  
"You can't." Harry confirmed.  
  
Ardeth went back to thinking, and a silence stretched between the two of them. Now and then one of the Medjai's horses would snort, and Harry could sometimes hear the silent footfalls of the men keeping guard. Otherwise the night was silent, too silent. There was some sort of magical silence creeping over the desert, and Harry could feel it penetrate him and mix with his powers. It was not a good feeling.  
  
Harry shook his head. This was bad, really bad. As he now was the bearer of the Magical Core the thing sucking all the magic out of Egypt, could suck all the magic out of every wizard and witch in the world. He needed to stop this before it went too far.  
  
As the sun began to rise, Ardeth looked up from the flames. "I will come with you."  
  
Harry shook his head. "Excuse me?"  
  
"I'm going with you."  
  
"With me? To Ankh-Torom?" he received nods as answers to both questions. "Why? I thought you feared the place."  
  
"I do, every sane man does." Ardeth replied and whistled. A second later his horse came over to him and he got on. "But you will not make it out alive without my help, my friend."  
  
Harry got onto his camel, and the animal stood up. "There must be more than that driving you to come with me."  
  
Ardeth said something to his people, who rode off again, then turned back to Harry. "There is more, my friend. I'll tell you about it on the way."  
  
Harry stared at the man for another while, trying to make up his mind.  
  
*~~*Accept his company,*~~* the voice was back. *~~*You will need his help. Now and in the future.*~~*  
  
"Alright, start talking." Harry's green eyes flashed in the rising sun as the two of them started to ride again.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
There, that's done. What do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
PhoenixTears101, hermionepotter141, Jess16, Chicken Stars, daemonwolf, Dragon Tamer47, EclipseAzNGTX, insanechildfanfic, HarryPotter21, misty43, zimagesto, GunSmoke2 and SSSRoaB. 


	4. Chapter 3

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my appologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"The legend say that the Shield of the Gods is hidden somewhere in the oasis," Ardeth explained.  
  
"Shield of the Gods?" Harry asked.  
  
"It is made out of pure Light Magic. When the sun hits it the light is reflected ten times stronger. And any evil creature hit with this light, be it mortal or immortal, dies instantly. The gods gave it to the pharaohs counsellor and architect, Imhotep, who placed it on the top of a pyramid. The sunlight hit it and they defeated a dark army sent by the evil gods Set and Selket. However, the Shield was stolen the same night by Nassithoth, an agent of Set's, and he took it to the oasis of Ankh-Torom which was given to him by the two gods."  
  
Harry nodded. "That sounds interesting. And you want the Shield?"  
  
"Imhotep was originally a Medjai before he became an architect and counsellor," the man on the horse said. "So the shield rightfully belongs to my people."  
  
"If that is the truth, then the Shield does belong to you and no one else." For the thousandth time that morning, Harry wished that he still had his sunglasses. The sun was killing him. "Why haven't you gone in and got it before?"  
  
"Many have tried, none have returned."  
  
"Then why are you going with me?"  
  
Ardeth smirked and looked up at Harry. "There's something about you, Englishman, that makes me believe that this time we might succeed."  
  
"Well, I thank you for your trust," Harry replied.  
  
"And your reasons," Ardeth pushed on. So far Harry had played with words and managed to avoid any questions about his business in the oasis - except for saving the archaeologists - but it didn't look like the man was so easily thrown off. "What are your reasons for going into the oasis beside the archaeologists?"  
  
"The Book of the Living and the Book of the Dead." Harry replied.  
  
Both Ardeth and his horse stopped in their tracks. "The spellbooks of the ancient wizards?!"  
  
"The very same."  
  
"What makes you so sure that these are the two originals?" the Medjai asked as he caught up again. "There are 500 copies found by archaeologists so far."  
  
"Call it a hunch." Harry narrowed his eyes, something was coming straight towards them, and it was big. "The archaeologist team found the two books at a dig a few weeks ago. They read them and put the clues together, that's how they found the oasis."  
  
Ardeth had also noticed the approaching... whatever it was, and was beginning to look slightly worried. "That explains a lot of things. Looks like a sandstorm."  
  
Harry didn't reply. Instead he got off the camel that laid down in the sand, and started to put up a tent. Ardeth helped him, as his horse lay down beside the camel. In minutes they had put up a good tent that would be able to endure the worst of storms, with a little aid from Harry that is, and got inside.  
  
"What did you mean by that?" The leader and founder of the Red Dragons asked.  
  
"The Book of the Dead can be used to bring someone back to life," the Medjai explained. "While the Book of the Living is used to take life. You said that the archaeologists opened both books, right? And that they read from each?"  
  
"Yes, that's true."  
  
"After a few years of living alone in the oasis - only now and then seeing other people that had gotten lost - Nassithoth got fed up with it all, and let Set and Selket mummify him while he was still alive. Then the two gods cast a curse upon him. When someone found the two books and read from them, then Nassithoth would rise again. He sucks the magic out of this land like a leech sucks blood. Soon he will be strong enough to try to take over the world, and this time he will succeed."  
  
"That's bad." Harry mumbled. A 4000 year old dead guy coming to take over the world. Well, you didn't get that every day.  
  
"You don't seem shocked or worried." Ardeth pointed out.  
  
Harry shrugged. "As I said, I am used to such things. Anything else you want to tell me about this Nassithoth-fellow before we reach the oasis?"  
  
"He has no soul, and no mortal weapon can kill him."  
  
"There had to be a catch somewhere, didn't it? So, how does one kill him?"  
  
"By reading from the Book of the Living. But here lies another problem," the Medjai-warrior said. "To read from the book and make the spell work, you need two things. One is magic and the other is the ability to read hieroglyphs. I can read hieroglyphs, so there you were lucky, but I am not a wizard."  
  
"And as long as the book is open Nassy sucks the magic out of you. Perfect. Can it get more complicated than this?"  
  
"Well, there's the traps and enchantments and whatnots we have to break and get through before we reach the pyramid where Nassithoth is said to be buried. Then we have to brave the dangers of the pyramid itself."  
  
"Yep, it can." Harry sighed. "I really wonder sometimes if there are gods up there that really, really hate me."  
  
Ardeth chuckled.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
The sandstorm lasted for hours. Most of the time was spent in silence between Harry and Ardeth, both deep in thought about the upcoming adventure. Harry was wishing that he hadn't sent Osiris off without a plea for help, and Ardeth wasn't sure what to make of the green-eyed man sitting opposite him. The man was taking things that would make other men send the Medjai to a mental hospital, extremely calmly. It was suspicious and weird. That was the most important reason why he went along on this suicide mission; to keep an eye at the man.  
  
Once the storm was over the two of them quickly took down the tent and packed up their stuff. They had to dig the two animals out of the sand as the poor creatures were half-way buried. Then they could set off towards the oasis itself.  
  
They followed an old riverbed. The dunes of sand rising on each side ended in high cliffs. The sounds of their animals footsteps echoed for a long time between the cliffs, and Harry was worried that it might set off a rockslide. At times they would come across a small bush that was completely dried, otherwise there was nothing there.  
  
Nothing until Harry noticed something. It was sticking out of one of the dead bushes. He stopped the camel and jumped off before the animal could even think about getting down on its knees. Ardeth got off his horse as well, took the reins of both animals and led them over to Harry.  
  
"What did you find?" the Medjai asked.  
  
Harry stood up and turned. In his hands was a modern-day flashlight. One of those that could easily fit into your pocket, and wasn't more than an inch in length. "They were here." He said referring to the archaeologists.  
  
"That means that they were still alive." Ardeth said.  
  
"Think there might be the slightest chance that they are still alive?" Harry asked and got onto the camel.  
  
"They have been missing for over a week now." The other man pointed out. "There's a small chance that they survived, yet then the gods really must have pity on them."  
  
"Or Nassy wanted to play." Harry added and they continued.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
"My god." Harry whispered as he gazed upon the sight before him.  
  
They had finally reached the oasis, except for the fact that it looked more like a small jungle than a simple oasis. There were waterfalls, a huge river, and trees upon trees until the other side. The place was surrounded by tall mountains on all sides, and apparently the only way in and out was by the way Harry and Ardeth had come. In the middle of it all stood a great pyramid with a diamond glittering on the top.  
  
Event he Medjai looked awed. He mumbled something in his own tongue, and stared.  
  
"Listen." Harry said after a while.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"That's it, there's no birds singing. And a place like this you'd expect to be flooded with animals."  
  
Ardeth nodded after a while listening. "Lets be careful and not rush in." He got off his horse and started to unpack his many swords, daggers and guns. Harry got off the camel and followed his example. Then Ardeth bound the reins of the two animals and chased his horse off. The camel could only follow. "Don't worry my friend. He will come when I call for him," he said to Harry and handed him a sword. "You know how to use one?"  
  
"More or less." Harry replied.  
  
"You will need to know the ways of the sword extremely well if you are going to survive this." The Medjai said and checked that all his weapons were in their place.  
  
"I'll manage."  
  
The two of them turned towards the green jungle and entered the oasis.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
There, what do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
HarryPotter21, chaser1, PhoenixTears101, Andine, Chicken Stars, insanechildfanfic, Jess16 and hermionepotter141. 


	5. Chapter 4

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my apologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
They swiftly found the way the archaeologists had taken. There was a wide trail through the jungle that stopped at a campsite. Harry and Ardeth didn't barge on like idiots, but made sure that it was safe every time they put their foot down. It may take more time than normal, but at least they would be somewhat prepared.  
  
"Something attacked these people." Ardeth said as they looked around the camp.  
  
Ruined tents and equipment. Books and papers strewn all around the place; food, clothes, overturned tables. The place was the testimony of complete chaos and disorder.  
  
"Something big." Harry agreed quietly and lifted up a page from a book.  
  
'We have been here for three hours. The workers seem worried for some reason, and I must admit that so am I. This place is too quiet for the peace of my mind.  
  
John and Anna are pouring over the Book of the Living and the Book of the Dead. I don't like them, the books I mean. Some sort of energy is pouring off the Book of the Living, and the Book of the Dead doesn't feel any special, which is weird. You'd expect that it would be the other way around, the Book of the Living giving life, and the Book of the Dead taking it.  
  
I have been sitting here by the tent-flap for a few hours, ever since we put up the tent. The workers are sitting around the fireplace looking extremely worried. Then there's that black rider that Anna saw earlier today. Even if we tried to rationalize it away, all three of us know it was a Medjai. Good thing that the workers didn't see him, or we'd have no workers left.  
  
Something's out there. The place has become even more silent than when we first got here.  
  
The calm before the storm.'  
  
"Cheery." Ardeth commented and took the page out of Harry's hands. "Now we know the name of two of the archaeologists. John and Anna."  
  
"Hmm, that must've been written by the third of them." Harry replied and looked around again. "Have you noticed that there are no bodies here?"  
  
The Medjai looked around. "Yes, I knew something wasn't right with the picture. They must all be either at the pyramid or lost somewhere in the jungle."  
  
Harry nodded. "We go straight to the pyramid. We have no time to go searching all over the place for the missing ones. We'll have to be careful though, whatever attacked the camp can easily attack us. And there's just two of us, while there was 33 of them."  
  
"Not the best of odds is it?" Ardeth asked as they continued inwards.  
  
"One could wish for better." Harry agreed and they continued.  
  
The jungle was thick and it would've been almost impossible to get through it if it hadn't been for the fact that both Harry and Ardeth were Elementals, and could just command the plants out of their way. One of them would command the plants and the other would be ready in case something attacked. It was slow work that required a great deal of patience and nerves. By nightfall they hadn't gotten as far as Harry would've liked, but at least they were still alive. They had avoided dozens of traps and pitfalls, quicksand and hexes. Several times one of them would've died if the other hadn't acted quickly.  
  
"That was fun." Harry remarked after Ardeth pulled him out of his second quicksand-pit that day. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem." Replied the Medjai. "Do we camp here for the night, or move on?"  
  
"Not here on low ground." Harry looked around and spotted the ideal place. "We'll camp up there." He pointed to a small ridge high up on the side of a cliff.  
  
The other man nodded in agreement. "Well, you know what you're doing at least."  
  
Harry stared after the man as he began to climb. All day he had had to endure small comments like that. Either the man was trying to annoy him and piss him off, or he was another Snape. Harry shook his head and started to climb after the Medjai-warrior. Trust his luck to end up with another Snape.  
  
They made a small fire and sat with their back to the cliff-wall. From where they sat they could see a bit of the starry skies, and Harry searched at once for the Constellation of the Dragon, then he searched for Drake. Drake's star twinkled brightly and Harry smiled. Drake was watching over him and making sure he didn't get himself killed, that he was sure off.  
  
"I have one question for you," Ardeth spoke up after a while. "What would an Elemental like you want to do with the two books?"  
  
It seemed as though Harry had finally met a worthy opponent in the Big Game. It was refreshing.  
  
"Lots of things, my friend." Harry replied. He was about to say something else, when a sharp cry made him look up. Osiris was heading their way, and Harry held out his arm. The bird landed and he took the letter. Ardeth let the falcon sit on his arm while Harry read the letter. "Well, I was beginning to wonder when they would turn up." Harry mumbled after a while.  
  
"What?" Ardeth asked and looked up from petting the bird.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just a couple of... old acquaintances of mine on our trail." Harry replied and threw the letter into the fire. "Perhaps you know of them, but the bottom line is that they are bloody annoying."  
  
"And who are they?" the Medjai asked.  
  
"Call themselves the Black Snakes Order. Have a tattoo of a black snake on their arms."  
  
The other man nodded. "Yes, we know of them. They have tried to get to Ankh- Torom for centuries." He looked up to the skies and Harry followed. Another bird came flying towards them, and it landed on Ardeth's other arm. Harry chuckled and took over both birds – who were eyeing each other with distrust – while the other man read his letter.  
  
"The Medjai haven't been able to stop them." Ardeth spoke up in the end. "Something scares the Medjai-horses away, the Snakes are on foot."  
  
"Hmm, indeed. How can they carry so much provisions for such a long journey if they are on foot? And what is it that scares away your horses? This gets better and better. Did the note say exactly how far the Snakes have come?"  
  
"They will enter the jungle just before dawn."  
  
Harry looked towards the way they had come and a smirk crossed his face. "Lets not make it too easy for them."  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
After a few hours of rest, Harry and Ardeth began to set out traps using their Elemental powers. Then they followed after the them, letting the Snakes do all the dirty work leaving the road completely open for the two of them.  
  
The Black Snakes had sent fifty men, and at the head of that group was none other than Victor Krum. Harry raised an eyebrow; that guy was really starting to get on his nerves.  
  
By the time the large group reached the place that Harry and Ardeth had camped, they had lost nine of their men to various pits and other things that the other two had avoided. And they had lost another four to traps set out by Harry and Ardeth themselves.  
  
"A good days work, don't you think?" Harry asked as he and the Medjai sat on the ledge. The Snakes were camped not too far away, so the two on the ledge couldn't lit any fires.  
  
"You are a cunning fellow, my friend." Said the other man with a grin. "I better watch out."  
  
"I never kill partners." Harry said and grinned himself.  
  
"That is comforting."  
  
There was suddenly a great commotion in the Snakes camp, and both Harry and Ardeth quickly slid off the ledge and started to make their way towards the camp. They didn't have to communicate, it was as if they could read each others thoughts. Both moved silently, and with only a movement of a hand, or a small nod, could they tell the other what to do or what they were planning on doing themselves.  
  
The commotion had died down slightly by the time the two of them reached the camp. Harry and Ardeth crouched low behind the enormous leafs from some plant, and watched the scene.  
  
Krum was standing in the middle of the tents, hollering his guts out. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND THEM?!"  
  
A young trainee winced. "I am sorry, Commander," she said. "But the Book of the Living and the Book of the Dead are gone."  
  
"They must've found other copies of the books." Harry whispered to Ardeth.  
  
"Must've been really early copies then if they showed them the way to Ankh- Torom." The Medjai replied just as quietly. "Over the years, as more and more copies were made, the priests changed them so that the clues to Ankh- Torom were misleading. Otherwise the whole world would've been ruled by Nassithoth, Set and Selket by now."  
  
Harry nodded and turned his attention back to the Black Snakes.  
  
Krum looked livid. "Lets take this from the beginning, shall we? We had the books nicely hidden in the chest over there-" he pointed to a large chest in the middle of the camp "-protected by every kind of spells and charms and hexes."  
  
"That's right, sir." Replied the trainee.  
  
"No one opened the chest or moved it after we put it down, correct? Then how the hell can the books be gone?!" Krum kicked the chest and it turned over. Everyone stared. There was a hole in the ground right where the chest had been placed. The cloth that had been at the bottom of the chest had fallen away revealing a large hole in the chest itself.  
  
"That can't be good." Harry mumbled.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
Well, what do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
Andine, Jess16, PhoenixTears101, hermionepotter141, Chicken Stars, chaser1, HarryPotter21, aerinoutlander, Arianne, misty43, Jeni Black, insanechildfanfic, SSSRoaB and The Lady Reaper of the Shadows. 


	6. Chapter 5

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my apologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Harry and Ardeth shared a look. The hole in the chest and in the ground was big enough for a book to be smuggled through. The question was what had taken the books?  
  
"Anything you forgot to tell me?" Harry asked the Medjai.  
  
"I have never even heard about something like this." Replied the other man. "We both know that there's something else here but the spells and pits – something has to maintain the traps – but nothing in our legends gives even a clue as to what it can be."  
  
"Things just keep getting better and better." Harry mumbled.  
  
Krum and the Black Snakes just stared at the hole for another while. Then Krum suddenly grabbed a man standing beside him and growled, "Find out where that leads." Before throwing the man into the hole.  
  
There was a scream, then nothing.  
  
"I think it's time for us to retreat." Harry said in a worried tone as the ground began to shake.  
  
Ardeth just nodded, and the two of them jumped up not caring if the Snakes could see them.  
  
Krum spotted Harry's green eyes reflected in the light of the fire. "POTTER?! After them!!!!"  
  
This time there was no time to make sure if the ground was safe to step on, they had to run and trust their luck. However, neither Harry nor Ardeth were stupid, and when they got the opportunity they used stones and jumped from one to the other. First time this happened the Snakes lost another couple of men before realising that the stones were there for a very good reason.  
  
Harry and Ardeth stopped to catch their breath. They were standing in a clearing surrounded by stones. It looked like a burial ground.  
  
"I think..." Harry panted. "I think we lost them."  
  
The ground shook again.  
  
"The hunter has become the hunted." Ardeth said when he could.  
  
They didn't have time to say anything else as a group of young Black Snake trainees ran into the circle as well, looking completely terrified. Harry recognised the young woman who had had the misfortune to come with the bad news, and some others as well.  
  
"Please..." the girl panted. "Please help us!"  
  
"What's going on?" Harry asked.  
  
"S... something's a... attacked the camp." Another, a young man, replied. "We were running after you two, but ended up running in circles and got back to the camp. It was completely trashed so we bolted."  
  
"And what of the rest of your group?" Ardeth asked. His hand never strayed too far from his sword.  
  
"We have no idea," the young woman replied. "The name's Tina."  
  
"Ken." Said the young man.  
  
"Harry," said Harry. "And a friend of mine, Ardeth."  
  
"Nice to meet you."  
  
To Harry the whole scene seemed completely surreal. I mean, here they were in an oasis of legend, evil-something hunting them, Black Snakes, a Red Dragon and a Medjai exchanging pleasantries. Things were getting weirder and weirder. Apparently Ardeth was thinking down the same lines as his eyes glittered in amusement.  
  
The pleasant atmosphere that had surrounded them for a few precious seconds, was shattered as a scream of pain and terror sounded through the jungle. The young Snakes jumped and looked around, ready to bolt.  
  
"Stay put." Harry ordered in a calm and commanding voice. "Stay within the circle of stones."  
  
When the young men and women with bewildered looks, Ardeth explained. "In ancient times burial ground were sacred," the Medjai said and made sure his machinegun was ready for use. "We should be safe enough. At least for the rest of the night."  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
Later that night Harry and Ardeth were sitting together. The young Snakes were sitting together in a group in the middle of the stone circle, not talking just looking about with scared eyes.  
  
"Just children." Harry muttered.  
  
Ardeth nodded in agreement. "Even if the Medjai train children from young age to be able to fight, we never send them out until we are sure they can handle it all."  
  
"There's something out there," Harry said after a while. "Can you feel it?"  
  
"I can."  
  
Silently they watched the darkness around them. Something was watching them, and it wasn't one of Hagrid's rather cuddly monsters.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
Harry's eyes fluttered open and he shook his head. When had he fallen asleep? Not far from him slept Ardeth, and in the middle of the circle slept the young Black Snake trainees.  
  
"This is getting interesting." Harry mumbled as he got up and quickly went over to the Medjai. "Ardeth. Wake up," he said quietly while shaking the other man.  
  
"Hmm, what?" Ardeth blinked and looked around. "When did I fall asleep?"  
  
"I was asking myself the very same question." Harry replied. He looked around, something was missing. Something rather important... "Our weapons!" he exclaimed.  
  
"What are you on ab-" the warrior sopped. "Our weapons!"  
  
"That's what I said. Our weapons are gone!"  
  
Their voices woke up the young men and women lying in the middle of the stone-circle.  
  
"Wh-what's going on?" Tina asked.  
  
Harry looked for clues in the bushes outside the circle. "Our weapons are gone."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Calm down, we were all asleep when that happened." Harry replied nonchalantly.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"You aren't calming them down, my friend." Ardeth pointed out.  
  
Tina jumped up. "We could've all gotten killed! Weren't you two supposed to keep guard?!"  
  
"We fell asleep just like you did."  
  
"Now that's comforting!" Tina exclaimed angrily. "Bloody damn comforting! Weren't you two supposed to keep guard last night while we were asleep?! For heavens sake-"  
  
Fast as lightening, and before Ardeth could do anything to stop him, Harry had the young woman pushed up against a tree and a hand wrapped around her throat, her feet hanging a few centimetres off the ground.  
  
"What in Allah-" the Medjai began, but Harry didn't listen.  
  
"Now, lets make things crystal clear here, Tina. You and your group of Snakes were bloody lucky that we allowed you to stay here for the night, and that we didn't kill you ourselves." Harry raised his free hand and showed the ring to the girl. "Recognise this, trainee?"  
  
"Red Dragon!" she gasped. "You're a Red Dragon!"  
  
"Red Dragon?!" Ardeth stared at Harry.  
  
"Yes, I am." Harry grinned. "By rights we are enemies, Snake. Just remember that." He let go of her and ducked into another bush. "Found anything yet, Ardeth?"  
  
The other man blinked then stalked over to Harry. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Red Dragon?"  
  
"It was supposed to be a secret you know." The green-eyed man came back up. "Nothing here. Whatever it was that took our weapons it didn't leave any trails. What?" he asked seeing the looks he was getting.  
  
The Medjai-warrior shook his head. "Impossible, that's what you Englishmen are."  
  
"W-what are we going to do?" asked Ken.  
  
"Head on to the pyramid." Replied Ardeth. "That was our original goal, before you came along."  
  
Tina got to her feet again and looked worriedly around. "You sure that is a good idea?"  
  
"Nope," Harry replied as if nothing had happened. "But it's what we set out to do. Now, you can either tag along and try not to sink us, or you can try to find your way back to the canyon and get out of here. Either way, most of us won't survive." He and Ardeth both picked up a long, sturdy branch and started to walk.  
  
The Snakes exchanged looks before quickly following the two older men.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
What do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
Jeni Black, Jess16, chaser1, zimagesto, SSSRoaB, insanechildfanfic, Andine, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, HarryPotter21 and misty43. 


	7. Chapter 6

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my apologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
"How far do you think we have before we reach the pyramid?" Harry asked.  
  
"Perhaps another day, perhaps less." Ardeth replied. "It doesn't matter because if we don't get something to eat soon we certainly won't reach the pyramid."  
  
The bushes in front of them rustled and both stopped dead. The Snakes stopped as well and kept extremely still.  
  
"What's going on?" Ken asked.  
  
"Quiet!" Harry hissed. His whole concentration was on the rustling bush. Both he and Ardeth had raised their branches, ready to attack. The bush rustled some more, and out came...  
  
Harry blinked.  
  
Yep, it was still a snake. A normal little harmless garden snake.  
  
It looked up at him and smiled. #Good I found you,# it hissed. #I've been searching for two days now.#  
  
"Don't strike," Harry said to the Medjai-warrior standing beside him. He crouched down and held out his arm. #What do you mean, young one. You've been searching for us?#  
  
Ardeth retreated a step when he heard Harry talk in parseltongue, and stared in shock and wonder at his newest friend. The man was just full of surprises. The Snakes gaped as well. There was only one person that they knew of that could speak parseltongue. Harry Potter. Leader and founder of the Red Dragons Order.  
  
The little snake coiled around Harry's wrist. #Yes, I was sent by the falcon-headed one. He said I should find you and lead you to the mountain in the middle.#  
  
#To the pyramid?#  
  
#If that's what you call the thing, then yes.# The snake nodded.  
  
Harry went back to something the snake had said. #You mentioned the 'falcon- headed one'. What did you mean with that?#  
  
#Just what I said. The falcon-headed man came up to me, said I should find you and lead you to this – pyramid, was it? – then he just dropped me off here.#  
  
#Indeed.# Harry mumbled before turning back to his companions. Ardeth just stared at him, shook his head and seemed to give up on figuring Harry out. The Snakes stared at him for a completely different reason.  
  
"My god!" Tina whispered.  
  
"Speaking about gods," Harry cut her off and turned to Ardeth. "This little fellow says he was sent by the falcon-headed one to lead us to the pyramid."  
  
That got the Medjai's attention. "The falcon-headed one?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yes, that's what I said. Does it mean anything to you?"  
  
"Of course it does!" the other man exclaimed. "It means that he was either sent by Horus or Ra himself."  
  
"Not bad," Harry replied. "Seems as though we are being watched over by Gods! Not bad at all; first time this happens to me."  
  
Ardeth shook his head. "With you around, my friend, I'm finding myself surprised or shocked very often. So, what does your little friend say? Where are we going next?"  
  
#Which way to the pyramid?# Harry asked the snake. It pointed with its tail straight into the bush it had come through, and they continued.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
They didn't stop when night came, that would be suicide. The young Snakes were starting to really get annoying either chatting with each other, or complaining about their feet hurting. The snake gave them the directions and told them that at their pace they would reach the pyramid before the night was over.  
  
"Hey look!" one of the young men said suddenly and the whole group stopped.  
  
Harry and Ardeth made their way back to the man. "What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Look, there, between the bushes. Light!" the young man grinned happily. "It's a rescue party, I am sure of it! Come on!" he ran off the path they had been walking on.  
  
"NO! STOP!" both Harry and Ardeth threw themselves after him. The Medjai grabbed a hold of the young man's robes, and Harry hung on to Ardeth to keep him being dragged into the bushes. The robe suddenly fell to the ground and Ardeth and Harry stood up. The young idiot had taken it off!  
  
Everyone winced as they heard a scream. It was abruptly cut off, leaving a deep silence hanging over the group.  
  
"Lets continue." Harry said finally and went to the front of the group.  
  
"We aren't going to look for him?" Tina asked, her hands at her hips.  
  
It was Ardeth who replied. "You can go, no one keeps you here. I hope you have made amends with your god, you're going to be meeting him pretty soon." With that he followed Harry.  
  
"But... but..." Tina sighed and started to follow the two men. She was quickly learning to stick with them. It was a miracle that they hadn't been attacked yet.  
  
The next hour was spent walking in silence. Nothing could be heard except their silent footfalls and breaths. It was clear as crystal that something was watching them from the darkness, just waiting for the opportune moment to attack. Everyone was nervous, their nerves strung high. It was worse with the unnatural silence, without the normal sounds you'd expect to find in a jungle it was down right spooky. Neither Harry nor Ardeth, who were experienced warriors, felt too high. Especially not without their weapons at their sides. The little snake gulped and quickly hid inside the pocket of Harry's shirt. Harry had quickly taken off the long robes once he and Ardeth entered the jungle. Ardeth had done the same. It would've been even more difficult to move about with those things sinking them.  
  
Ardeth suddenly stopped and Harry ran straight into him.  
  
"What?" the green-eyed wizard whispered.  
  
"The earth." Replied the other. "It's shaking."  
  
Harry suddenly noticed it as well. The earth was really shaking. Just like when the Snake's camp had been attacked. "RUN!" he yelled. "RUN FOR HEAVENS SAKE!"  
  
Ardeth wasted no time in doing just that. The Black Snake trainees stood indecisive for a moment, then felt the shaking and set off as well. Behind them, just where they had been standing seconds before, they heard the earth explode and a shriek of fury.  
  
"Don't look back!" the Medjai ordered. "Faster!"  
  
"We are running as fast as we can!" Tina yelled back. She and the rest of her group weren't as fast as Harry and Ardeth, and were slowly lagging behind.  
  
"As fast as you can?" Harry yelled. "Yeah, right, and Voldie's coming back to invite me for tea!"  
  
"TOM!" a young Snake shrieked as the man at the back of the group suddenly disappeared. "Where did Tom go!"  
  
"I'm not stopping to find out." Tina replied.  
  
Suddenly something flew over their heads, landed straight in their path and started to sink in quicksand. Harry and Ardeth were forced to take a sharp swing to the right to avoid drowning in the sand as well.  
  
"What was that?!" Ken shrieked.  
  
"That was your friend Tom!" Harry replied slightly out of breath. "Medium roasted I think."  
  
One by one the creature, whatever it was, picked them off. It was a smart thing as it took the ones at the back of the group. Several times they were forced to change directions abruptly, and they lost another two to different kinds of traps. The worst with running recklessly like this was that you never knew what might be in front of you. The huge leafs blocked their path, and they had to trust their luck more than Harry liked. And those places they had to use their Elemental abilities there was no time for them to stop. If the job was half done, then it was half done and good enough to run through.  
  
Suddenly, from both sides of the path, long arms shot out from the underbrush. They were long and green, and looked like the arms of an octopus. Harry and Ardeth avoided the arms to the best of their abilities, but the Snake trainees were having more trouble. However, no one stopped to make sure that everyone got away, they just ran on until the trees started to thin and they ran into a large clearing. There they stopped to catch their breaths. There was only four of them left now. Harry, Ardeth, Tina and Ken. The rest were gone.  
  
"Allah help us," Ardeth panted as he looked back the way they had come.  
  
"Wh... what the hell was that thing?!" Tina gasped.  
  
"I'd be damned if I know. Doesn't even resemble anything I've encountered or read about." Harry replied.  
  
The sun chose that moment to show itself over the cliffs surrounding the entire oasis, and it warmed them. The night and its horrors seemed to have happened in a different lifetime. Then the sun shone down upon something behind them, and this something lit up like a fire causing the four humans to turn around.  
  
"Oh dear." Ken whispered. "We're here."  
  
Harry only nodded. For in front of them stood the pyramid they had been trying to get to, and shone like a jewel in the sun.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
There, that's that. What do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
Rhinemjr, Andine, chaser1, insanechildfanfic, Jeni Black, ReginaLucifer, SSSRoaB, samyjoc, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, misty43, HarryPotter21 and Love-Power-Child. 


	8. Chapter 7

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my apologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
"Now what?" Tina asked. "Do we go in, or do we rest a bit first?"  
  
"I'd say we should rest a bit." Said Harry. "We've been running for almost forty-eight hours straight, and need a damn good rest. Even if it means that we don't enter the pyramid until tomorrow."  
  
Ardeth nodded in agreement. "We'll do as you say, my friend. I know that if something attacked me right now, I'd have problems to defend myself – let alone the rest of you."  
  
Harry yawned, sat down leaning against one of the sphinx-statues that marked the path up to the entrance of the pyramid, and promptly fell asleep in seconds. For once his sleep wasn't troubled by nightmares of his numerous mistakes in his past, instead he dreamed that he was lying under a tree on the Hogwarts grounds on a warm summer day, with a gentle cooling breeze floating by now and then. The sky was blue as can be, the castle of Hogwarts emitting a warmth that Harry had fallen in love with over the years. The warmth of a home. A home where he was wanted and needed, and welcomed with open arms.  
  
He was woken several hours later by Ardeth, and together they woke up the two Snake trainees.  
  
"Do you think the rest of the Black Snakes could be in there?" Tina asked and stretched her arms over her head.  
  
"Perhaps, we're hoping to find the missing archaeologists among other things." Harry replied as he thoughtfully gazed upon the glittering pyramid. "That thing cannot possibly be made out of normal stone." He muttered.  
  
"It isn't," said Ardeth as he came up to the green-eyed man. "Legends said it was made out of gold and diamonds, and here's the proof."  
  
Ken yawned. "Do we go in?"  
  
Harry nodded. "We do. We all know that before this is done more of us – if not all – will die inside the pyramid. Those who want to back out and wait here, can do so."  
  
Both Tina and Ken looked slightly reluctant and scared at the prospect of going into the pyramid, but neither of them backed down and followed Harry and Ardeth inside. The Medjai-warrior sent a short prayer to the gods before entering the pyramid. Harry quickly followed and looked around.  
  
"We need light." He said quietly. He took the branch he had been carrying and lit it with his Elemental abilities; Ardeth kept his for protection. There were drawings and hieroglyphs on the walls, and the corridor they had entered went both ways. Here's where Ardeth's skills came into use, and the Medjai soon figured out which way was the correct one and they set off.  
  
Harry, being the one with the best hearing, sight and the one carrying the torch, went first. He could hear when mechanisms got ready to shoot poisonous arrows out of secret holes in the walls, or when the floor was about to give out under them, or when a stone came sliding their way. Every trick and trap they had to avoid could've easily come from an Indiana Jones- movie.  
  
At least that's what Harry thought. The other three were slightly more worried for their lives. Tina was making a mental list of who she wanted to haunt as a ghost, Ken was wondering why he had signed on to this mission, and Ardeth was still trying to figure the green-eyed man out. The superior hearing and sight, the cat-like movements – nothing of that fit with the description of a normal wizard. Harry was something else entirely, that was the only thing the Medjai could be sure of.  
  
Slowly they made their way to the heart of the pyramid. In the end, after countless hours of walking and avoiding traps, they entered a great room built in the middle of the pyramid. Statues of Set and Selket stood against the walls on both sides. Torches lit up the entire room, and in the sarcophaguses placed before each statue, laid one human. Harry recognized Krum in the first, and several other Black Snakes following him. Then came the people he supposed came from the missing archaeologist party.  
  
Straight opposite the arch they had gone through was another one, but this one was closed with golden doors with ancient spells and inscriptions. On a table in the middle of the room laid the four books. Two golden and two black, Books of the Living and Books of the Dead. Both sets of books were open, and Harry could feel their magic all the way to where he was standing.  
  
The torches flickered as the quartet entered the room and started to walk among the sarcophaguses, but no one paid them much heed.  
  
"Tom?!" Tina whispered as she recognised one of the people seemingly asleep.  
  
"I don't like this, my friend," Ardeth said as he watched Harry's back. "Something should've happened by now."  
  
Harry nodded and didn't dare go closer to the books than he already was. "Something's bound to happen," he agreed. "All it needs is to be triggered is one word or action."  
  
"Hey! Look at this!" everyone winced at Ken's loud voice. They turned and found him looking through a collection of old armours, shields and weapons. "These ancient fellows weren't completely defenceless." He dropped one old, faded shield on the ground when he noticed another one that was glittering like the sun in the light of the torches. "I don't believe it!" the young man exclaimed. "It's the Shield of the Gods!"  
  
Harry didn't like this. Not at all. Nor did he like the shield. "Don't touch it," he hissed to the man.  
  
"Oh come on! What can happen? It's the Shield of the Gods!" Ken heeded Harry's warnings and picked it up. That was the last thing he ever did. The shield pulsed brightly, forcing the other three to close their eyes, and when they opened them again Ken was lying on the ground, skin only covering a skeleton. There were no muscles or entrails at all. Everything had disappeared.  
  
"Oh my god!" Tina shrieked.  
  
"Quiet!" Ardeth ordered and turned to Harry. "That is not the Shield of the Gods. Nassithoth stole it from the pyramid, and it didn't turn him into a corpse."  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Harry replied and shook his head. Then he focused on the sarcophaguses. Something had been bothering him about those things ever since they entered the room, and now it revealed itself. "Who were the original owners of these?" he asked the Medjai and nodded towards one of the things.  
  
"Nassithoth's most loyal followers." Said the Medjai. "Set and Selket collected them from their graves after they were dead and placed them here to watch over and guard their master, both in this life and the afterlife."  
  
"Then where the hell are the mummies?" Harry pointed out. He was getting a really bad feeling about this.  
  
Ardeth blinked. "Good question."  
  
In that instant Tina shrieked and ran to them. She tried to hide behind them, and seemed completely hysterical.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked trying to calm her down. She just pointed to something behind him, and at that moment the two men heard a wheezing noise. As one they turned, their eyes going wide at the sight that met them. "Oh shit, we're in trouble."  
  
About twelve mummies blocked their way out. They were wrapped in rotting pieces of fabric, their skeletons showing through some places. They had no eyes and no tongues, and were shaking as they stood for they had no muscles to keep them up. It really wasn't something you wanted to see, rotting mummies that were going to try and kill you in a second. Yeah, that's right, the mummies were even carrying shields and weapons, either spears or long curved swords. And they were advancing.  
  
"Any last requests?" Harry asked trying to lighten up the situation.  
  
"Not get killed." Ardeth replied as the three of them began to retreat.  
  
"So you do have a sense of humour."  
  
Tina just hiccupped, took a deep breath and got ready to fight. The two men looked at her, the steely determination in her eyes and nodded approvingly.  
  
"Could you do us a favour?" Harry asked the young woman. "Try to get over to that pile of weapons and get us some."  
  
"I'll try, but you two will have to distract those things." She pointed at the mummies.  
  
The mummies opened their mouths unnaturally wide and roared together. The whole place shook.  
  
"No problem," Harry muttered and gulped. Sure, people may say that he was a crazy Gryffindor, jumping into the most hopeless of situations. But even he wasn't crazy enough to attack those things nearly defenceless. "God I wish these things didn't happen to me."  
  
Ardeth squared his shoulders. "It was nice knowing you two." He said before running straight into the mummies on the left flank.  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes and did the same to the mummies on the right.  
  
The fight had begun.  
  
'~~''~~''~~''~~'  
  
There, what do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
ReginaLucifer, Oblivion13, Jeni Black, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows, Rhinemjr, cronenus, insanechildfanfic, Andine, Twilight Dusk, misty43 and HarryPotter21. 


	9. Chapter 8

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my apologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
The things bit, scratched and slashed and before long both Harry and Ardeth were bleeding from numerous cuts all over. However, it didn't take them long to realise that to kill one of the mummies all you had to do was to chop off its head. It would then turn to dust or just fall into a boneless heap on the floor. The problem was to get a weapon to cut their heads off with. Tina had done her best, but still had been attacked by a few mummies that had escaped Harry and Ardeth's notice and was currently fighting for her life.  
  
"I! Hate! Mummies!" Harry growled and used his Elemental powers to make one go up in flames. He grabbed the mummy's sword and turned around. "Right, who's ne-" he didn't get further as a hand he had previously managed to chop off, made its way towards him, grabbed his leg and pulled it out from underneath him.  
  
Harry crashed to the floor and at once the mummies threw themselves over him. He had no idea where Ardeth was. The Medjai had disappeared early in the fight along with his own mob of mummies, and there had been no hide nor tail of him since. However, right now there wasn't much time for Harry to worry about his friend. Several mummies were holding him down, while another five lifted their weapons over their heads, ready to plunge them into him in a second.  
  
Harry closed his eyes as the weapons rushed towards him. He could hear them cut through the air, and knew that this was one thing he wasn't going to get through with his head still attached to his shoulders. Perhaps he could join the Headless Hunt later on?  
  
Suddenly Ardeth's voice sounded form somewhere to his right. The Medjai was speaking in what Harry could only assume was the ancient Egyptian language, and he dared to open his eyes. The other man was standing there with the Book of the Living in his arms reading something from it.  
  
The weapons were still rushing towards Harry, but as Ardeth uttered the last word the numerous spears and curved swords stopped only centimetres away from Harry's body and face. The mummies had stopped. They straightened and dropped the weapons back on the ground beside Harry before they marched straight out the door.  
  
Harry could hardly believe it and blinked a few times before he got to his feet. Tina was luckily alive, and ran over to the Medjai-warrior and hugged him.  
  
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she repeated over and over again.  
  
Ardeth just smiled and put the Book of the Living back on the table. He did not close it.  
  
Harry's eyes narrowed. Once again there was a sense of wrongness in the room, and he always trusted his senses. He let his leyrie-blood take over for a second and sniffed the air. The scent coming off Ardeth was different than it had been before. His eyes suddenly flew to the golden doors on the other side of the room. At first nothing looked different, but then he looked down into the dust before the doors. One of the doors had recently been opened if the scrape-marks was anything to go by. He looked back to 'Ardeth', and growled.  
  
The other man looked up and grinned. Instead of the perfect white teeth Harry expected, all he got were old, brownish things that looked like they would fall out any second.  
  
"Nassithoth." The green-eyed wizard hissed.  
  
The other man smirked and pushed Tina away from himself. She flew through the air and crashed straight into Harry sending both of them tumbling backwards. Harry jumped up at once. Nassithoth had changed back into his original body. He was a tall man with shoulder-long black hair, and cold black eyes.  
  
'A Pretender!' Harry realised. 'This is so not good.'  
  
Nassithoth said something, but neither Harry nor Tina understood it. The man repeated it, and growled angrily when he finally realised that the two humans that stood before him didn't understand it. Instead he took a sucking breath – not unlike the dementors – and Harry could feel the magic staring to leave his body. He glared angrily at Nassithoth and began to fight the magic, and fight it good. The cursed man stumbled backwards when Harry sent fireball after fireball at him.  
  
Tina was still getting off the floor and worry was etched into her face as she watched Harry force Nassithoth backwards, and as the Egyptian wizard did his best to suck the magic out of the founder of the Red Dragons Order. She looked up and gaped as a figure stumbled back into the room.  
  
The real Ardeth came over to her panting heavily. "Nassithoth." He whispered spotting the two fighters.  
  
"What are we going to do?" she asked nearly in hysterics again. "We can't let it continue! He's sucking all the magic out of me, and Harry!"  
  
Ardeth spotted the books lying on the table and dragged her over to it. He held his hands over both of the golden books, and picked up the one which was emitting some sort of energy. "Close the others, girl. And lock them with this." He gave her a key that was the only thing that could close and open those books. He had found it in one of the sarcophaguses.  
  
She did what she was told, and she could feel the magic in the room lessen once the other three books were closed. Then she looked back to the Medjai- warrior who was looking though the spells in the golden book in his arms. Finally he seemed to find what he was looking for, and looked over at the two fighting men again. This time Nassithoth had a dagger pressed against Harry's throat. Harry himself looked pale due to all the loss of magic he was experiencing.  
  
"Repeat after me!" Ardeth shouted.  
  
"If I can." Harry gasped and tried to keep the blade form penetrating his skin. Ardeth said the words clearly, even repeated them several times, until Harry had them down. 'Right! Now if I could only have some room to breath in...' he thought to himself.  
  
The answer to this came in the form of a small garden snake that shot out of Harry's breast-pocket and straight into the face of a shocked Nassithoth. The ancient wizard dropped his weapon in surprise and Harry quickly picked it up. The green-eyed man threw himself at Nassithoth, sending them both to the ground, and forced the dagger right into the thing's heart as he rasped out the spell that Ardeth had found in the book.  
  
Nassithoth looked surprised, his shocked black eyes meeting Harry's own. Harry could feel Ardeth closing the Book of the Living, and he could feel the magic that had been stolen return to its core – him. He poured more of it into the spell, and finally the thing underneath him began to rot and decay. In the end there was nothing more but a skeleton left of him.  
  
"That was surprisingly easy." Harry panted and walked over to the other two. "Where the hell have you been?"  
  
Ardeth sighed and picked up all four books. "Chased by the mummies throughout almost the entire pyramid. Though what disappoints me is that I haven't seen a single sign of the Shield of the Gods."  
  
Harry grinned. "I know exactly where it is, my friend." He went over to the corpse of Ken and picked up the shield the young man had first discarded in favour of the one that killed him. Harry picked it up and blew on it. Dust and whatnot flew into the air, and left a fully clean, completely glittering white shield behind. "Here it is." He handed it to Ardeth.  
  
"You are certain?" the Medjai asked.  
  
"Feel it yourself." Harry replied. "Close your eyes and concentrate on the magic flowing through it." The other man did so, and smiled as he felt the ancient magic caress him and bond to him like a familiar.  
  
"What do we do with them?" Tina asked and pointed to the people in the sarcophaguses.  
  
"We'll have to wake them up, simple as that." Harry went over to the first one. A woman, a muggle, laid in it with her arms crossed over her chest in the infamous Egyptian style. He supposed she was Anna from the archaeologist expedition. He let his fingers rest on her throat feeling for a pulse, then he sighed and shook his head to the other two. "She's dead."  
  
Ardeth and Tina went around and checked the others, but everyone came up as dead.  
  
"What killed them?" the young female Black Snake trainee asked. "There are no marks, not even the feel of the Killing Curse."  
  
"I suppose it was the creature that attacked us in the jungle," Ardeth said and gave Harry the four books and watched as the wizard shrunk them and put them in his pocket. "Lets get going before the mummy-warriors come back."  
  
They hadn't even taken five steps out of the room before, the whole pyramid began to shake along with the ground.  
  
"RUN!" Harry yelled and made sure that the small snake stayed perfectly safe in his pocket. Its job was to guard the books until they got safely out of the oasis, and it was taking its job very seriously.  
  
They reached the exit in no time, only to see it start to cave in on them and shut them inside the pyramid forever.  
  
''''''''  
  
There. What do you think?  
  
Also the next chapter is the last.  
  
Thanks to:  
  
ReginaLucifer, chaser1, Jeni Black, Twilight Dusk, Andine, HarryPotter21, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows and misty43 


	10. Chapter 9

Saga Side Story: Treasures of Egypt  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing of this except the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.  
  
Authors Note: This story was inspired by the movie-trilogy 'The Mummy', 'The Mummy Returns' and 'The Scorpion King'. I have taken some things from the movies, like the Medjai and Ardeth himself, but I am not making any money from this, so don't flame.  
  
I also know that Set and Selket aren't evil, but in my story they are. If this offends someone please accept my apologies.  
  
Thanks to my wonderful beta and friend Paladin Steelbreaker.  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
"We're trapped!" Tina shrieked.  
  
Harry growled and raised his arms. "As if, woman. Remember we're magical!" as he spoke a ball of energy formed in his hands, and once he had said his last words he threw it at the rocks in their way. The rubble exploded outwards and the three of them ran out before the thing could collapse again.  
  
Ardeth looked back at the pyramid once they were a safe distance away. "I can see that being a wizard is useful some times."  
  
Tina snorted. "Harry's not only a wizard, Medjai, he's the bearer of the Core of Magic."  
  
Harry smiled sheepishly as the other man stared at him.  
  
"I'm beginning to give up trying to figure you out." Ardeth said. "It's completely impossible."  
  
Tina opened her mouth, no doubt to tell Ardeth exactly why he couldn't figure Harry out, but Harry saw what she was up to and silenced her with a spell. Gods, it felt good to use his magic again.  
  
"Not again!" he exclaimed as the ground started to shake.  
  
Suddenly something huge shot out of it. It looked like an enormous octopus except that the mouth consisted of several sharp teeth. It roared and headed towards them, it's long arms dragging it forwards at a great pace. Both Ardeth and Tina retreated quickly, however Harry stood his ground. The creature stopped in front of him and roared again spraying the young man with its spit.  
  
Harry blinked and narrowed his eyes. For one he wasn't impressed, and for the other he was going to blast this thing into smithereens.  
  
The creature itself blinked stupidly with its single eye when it realised that Harry wasn't moving. It opened its mouth to swallow him, and in the next second found itself shooting into the air. Ardeth and Tina watched as the creature was ripped into shreds by something invisible, then the small parts falling to the ground caught fire and burned to ash before touching the earth. They looked back at Harry who wiped some ash off his shirt.  
  
Before either of them could speak the earth started to shake. They looked around, expecting another octopus-look-alike to pop up, but instead they watched as the trees around them were ripped up with their roots and came flying towards them. Something was sucking them into the pyramid again.  
  
"CLIMB!" Ardeth shouted and started to climb the pyramid, the Shield of the Gods strapped to his back. Harry and Tina didn't waste any time and set of after him.  
  
Once they reached the top they could only watch as the jungle, water falls and everything else was sucked into the pyramid at an alarming speed.  
  
"The pyramid is going to be sucked into itself!" Tina shrieked. "We're going to die!"  
  
Once again Harry shook his head. The girl really did forget that there was a thing called magic sometimes. "I can get us out of here!" He had to shout over the wind. "Just hope neither of you are afraid of heights!"  
  
Then he started to change. In front of their eyes he changed into a lion twice the height and length of a horse. Then he let them climb onto his back and, to their horror, jumped off the pyramid. Ardeth didn't even blink in surprise as he saw enormous wings fold out from Harry-the-griffin's flanks, powerful beats bringing them higher and higher. Seconds after they had left the pyramid, it exploded sending a great column of sand into the air.  
  
Once the sand cleared they could see again. There was no more oasis, just sand dunes upon sand dunes. The Medjai looked around and saw his horse waiting patiently a safe distance away along with Harry's camel.  
  
Harry landed and his two passengers slid off him. He changed back into his human-shape and stretched. "That was a wonderful trip."  
  
"As I said, impossible." Ardeth muttered before whistling sharply. Seconds later his horse came, followed by Harry's camel.  
  
Harry and Tina got onto the camel and the Medjai got onto his horse. They were about to head back towards the villages and Cairo, when the sand in front of them rose up.  
  
"What now?" Tina sighed.  
  
Instead of the danger they expected, they were confronted with four very weird people. One had the head of a black jackal, two had the heads of falcons – one with golden feathers, the other with silver – and the last was a woman that looked, well, normal. Harry suddenly realised who these creatures were and nodded respectfully to them. Ardeth was doing the same, and Tina imitated them just to be sure.  
  
'Finally we meet face to face, young warrior,' the jackal-headed Anubis said in mind-speech.  
  
"That we do," Harry replied calmly. "I must thank you for this little friend." He took the snake out of his pocket. It coiled around his wrist and hissed approvingly at the four gods.  
  
'Our pleasure,' replied the one with the golden falcon-head. 'And now we must thank you for helping us finally rid this earth of Nassithoth, even if you lost many people while doing it.' His voice sounded familiar to Harry.  
  
Tina sniffed. "I may be a Black Snake, but we were a tightly knit group," she said to Harry and finally let herself grieve.  
  
'Do not worry, young one,' the woman, Ma'at, smiled kindly. 'They have all passed the test to get into the afterlife. You will meet them there once your time comes.' Then she turned to Ardeth. 'Guard the Shield well, Medjai.'  
  
Ardeth nodded. "I will." He replied in his own language. The goddess nodded approvingly and disappeared along with the silver-falcon-headed man who had just smiled gratefully to them.  
  
'I hope we'll meet again,' Anubis said, thought his statement was meant mostly for Harry. 'You intrigue me, Bearer of the Magic Core. We must get together once.' With that he disappeared as well, leaving only Ra left with the three humans.  
  
'I thank you again for your help,' he smiled. 'Set and Selket have already been punished for their sins, which is why the pyramid and oasis disappeared. Their magic has been taken away from them by the King himself, and they're just normal mortals now. Let me tell you a secret before you leave.'  
  
"Yes?" Harry asked trying not to sound childish or eager to get out of there. Which he was, the sun was once again killing him.  
  
'You two,' Ra indicated to Harry and Ardeth, 'will meet again sometimes in the far, far future.'  
  
Harry and Ardeth looked at each other and nodded in agreement. That would definitely be nice.  
  
"But what about me?" Tina asked.  
  
'I am sorry child, but you have only gotten one lifetime granted to you on this earth by the King. You will not meet up with these two, not unless you decide to stay with one of them now.'  
  
Tina thought about it, then shook her head. "I've had enough of this," she said finally. "I want to settle somewhere nice and quiet. Both of you are of course invited to visit, but else..." she trailed off. There was nothing else that needed to be said.  
  
'Then it's decided. Good.' Ra nodded. 'And now I must leave you. Oh, Harry, please don't forget to give the books back to their rightful owners.' He was gone in a flash of light.  
  
Harry sighed and took out the shrunken books. He enlarged them and handed the original two to Ardeth. "Keep a good watch over them, alright? And you don't mind if I keep these two?"  
  
Ardeth shook his head. "Not at all." He packed the books into the saddlebags, then looked up again. "We'll see each other again in the future?"  
  
"Of course." Harry grinned, his green eyes flashing.  
  
''''''''  
  
'''' Red Dragon HQ's, London, a few days later ''''  
  
"Yeah, right as if!" Draco hollered with laughter. "And the next thing you're going to say is that these four gods you mentioned, just popped up and started talking to you?!"  
  
Harry nodded. "That's what happened." He was back at the Red Dragons HQ's, back in his office, and back in charge. Draco, Ron, Hermione, Nicholas, Salazar and Eminor were sitting there as well, listening to his tale.  
  
Ron snorted. "Harry, even with all the things we've gone through in these years don't you think that that is a bit farfetched?"  
  
"No, not really," Harry replied nonchalantly. They would never believe him, just like they would never believe him if he told them that he had had a voice living inside his head during his fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts.  
  
Hermione shook her head. "And you dragged us from our work just to tell us this preposterous story? Harry you know we all love you, but please, next time keep these things to yourself. It was down right yucky with those gory details about the mummies." She muttered as she left his office. She was followed by a laughing Nicholas, Ron and Draco, who were joking about what Harry had told them.  
  
Eminor looked a bit undecided. "Are you sure that the sun in Egypt didn't get to you?" the elf asked. "Are you sure that all this happened and isn't just some fever dream?"  
  
"That is something you have to make up your own mind about." Harry smiled.  
  
The young Elven king shook his head. "Impossible Harry, that's what you are." He left as well, which only left Harry and Salazar in the room.  
  
"And what about you? Believe me or not?" Harry asked.  
  
The Slytherin Founder grinned showing off his sharp canine teeth. "Oh, I believe you Harry, mostly because there are two new books on your bookshelf. Very well disguised, I must say. Once you told us about the books I started looking around. I believed in your story, and that's why your Concealment Charm didn't work on me." The vampire stood up as well. "Welcome home, Harry," he remarked before leaving as well, closing the door after himself.  
  
Harry grinned and looked at the Book of the Living and the Book of the Dead. They were the only proof that the oasis of Ankh-Torom had existed once, somewhere deep in the desert outside Cairo. He shook his head. The others may not believe him, but he remembered every second of his journey to the oasis and back.  
  
Opening a book Harry started to write down what had happened. It was written as a fantasy-story, he would give it to the Inner Circle members for Christmas. And this is how it began:  
  
'''' Egypt, 2500 B.C. ''''  
  
He fell. After a war that lasted years and years, Nassithoth finally fell. The pharaoh and his people celebrated for days on end. But they celebrated their victory too soon. For out in the great desert sat Nassithoth and was making a pact with the dark god Set and his mistress Selket. He promised to give them his soul if Set helped him survive the desert and give him means to conquer his enemies. The two gods agreed to this and spared his life.........  
  
''''''''  
  
There, this story is done. What do you think?  
  
Thanks to:  
  
misty43, Jeni Black, chaser1, hermionepotter141, ReginaLucifer, Twilight Dusk, Andine, The Lady Reaper of the Shadows and SSSRoaB. 


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